New league tables identifying the Top 100 large apprenticeship employers and Top 50 small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) were launched earlier this month.

These rankings will ‘celebrate some of the country’s most outstanding apprenticeship employers’ and will help potential apprentices, parents and careers advisers to identify the best apprenticeship opportunities in England.

They have been developed in partnership with High Fliers Research, which will independently assess and compile the rankings.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (www.topapprenticeshipemployers.co.uk) said: “Delivering high-quality apprenticeships is a vital part of our commitment to level up skills and opportunity across the country.

"These new league tables are a chance to showcase how apprenticeships have transformed businesses and changed lives.

"There are hundreds of employers of all sizes, up and down the country, giving people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to learn new skills and have successful careers.

"These lists will help everyone — from young people to career-changers — to make informed decisions about their future and unleash their full potential. I encourage all eligible employers to apply.”

Apprenticeship employers in every industry and employment sector are invited to enter for the rankings.

Entries for 2020 opened on Thursday 12 March, with the results due to be announced at a launch event this summer.

There are two categories for the 2020 rankings: large employers (for organisations with 250 employees or more, employing a minimum of 25 apprentices); and SME employers (for organisations with fewer than 250 employees, employing a minimum of five apprentices).